00:15

Ai Weiwei

Guardian

€650

Edition of 1601

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Self-satire meets storied symbolism in a sparkling silkscreen print by Ai Weiwei.

In Chinese tradition, a Door God is placed at an entrance or threshold to protect those inside from harm. By casting himself as this totemic figure, Weiwei acknowledges his standing in global consciousness, draws parallels with his life as an artist, and attempts to resolve the two.

Familiar motifs nod to the negative influences that Weiwei, in divine form, might ward off – from censorship and propaganda to corruption and surveillance. Red, meanwhile, promises good fortune for the year ahead.

To create the edition, printers at Make-Ready developed a new technique designed to echo a ceramic tile or cast concrete in silkscreen form. Bespoke gold ink ‘overloaded’ with metallic pigment and glitter is applied to the paper as a solid layer, then veiled by a layer of vibrant red to reveal an intricate illustration in negative space.

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Behind the scenes

01:14
00:51

Ai Weiwei

18 collaborations

Ai Weiwei is unafraid to speak truth to power. He’s one of the most famous living artists today – a testament to the breadth and vision of his practice. Effortlessly, he moves between different media, from sculpture and architecture to performance and documentary film. His work is often monumental in scale and is driven by a hunger for truth and justice. In 2008, for example, Ai spent many months collecting the names of over 5000 children who lost their lives in the Sichuan earthquake. This unflinching dedication to human rights saw him detained by the Chinese government for 81 days in 2011, accused of ‘subverting the state.’

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Reviews from Avant collectors

Incredibly happy and impressed with the quality of what we received. Will definitely consider buying from Avante Arte again.
Review of Descendent - Lucid Dreamer
The piece arrived very safely packaged. We haven't yet had it framed, but I'm very excited to see it hanging in our space.
Review of Guardian
The work is exceptional and looks fantastic. Thanks for doing a beautiful job executing and shipping it, very much appreciated.
Review of Actual Size
Congratulations for the perfect service!
Review of Out of the Dark
Great Packaging. Lovely print.
Review of Untitled
Thank you for paying attention to the details and for making even little peope feel grand. 🫶🏻
Review of Guardian
very professional service and great Comms throughout the process
Review of HOPE (251-375)
the presentation when I received this was everything and perfect. First time purchasing from AA but very impressed with all the attention to detail from the glove placement to packaging.
Review of Guardian

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